{"id":275421,"date":"2026-01-08T15:41:52","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T14:41:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sggw.edu.pl\/?p=275421"},"modified":"2026-01-08T15:42:22","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T14:42:22","slug":"ecg-for-plants-a-new-technology-from-sggw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sggw.edu.pl\/en\/ecg-for-plants-a-new-technology-from-sggw\/","title":{"rendered":"ECG for Plants? A New Technology from SGGW"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\n ECG for Plants? A New Technology from SGGW\n <\/h1>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Prof. Dr. Hab. Hazem M. Kalaji from the Department of Plant Physiology, Institute of Biology at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), spoke about the PlantECG fluorimeter and its upcoming presentation at the Przemiany Festival at the Copernicus Science Centre (October 3\u20135, 2025), at the SGGW booth titled \u201cPlant Clinic.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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PlantECG Fluorimeter \u2013 an ECG for Plants<\/strong><\/p>

The PlantECG fluorimeter<\/strong> is the first portable Polish device developed for non-invasive measurement of chlorophyll fluorescence signals (a fluorimeter is a \u201cstress meter\u201d), reflecting the activity of Photosystem II (PSII) in plant chloroplasts and other photosynthetic organisms.<\/p>

It enables ultra-fast (1-second)<\/strong> diagnostics of the plant\u2019s physiological condition, allowing for very early detection<\/strong> of stress symptoms such as drought, salinity, nutrient deficiencies, or environmental pollution. Moreover, it can detect changes caused by these stress factors and others\u2014such as infections\u2014before they become visible to the naked eye.<\/strong><\/p>

\u201cThe name \u2018Plant ECG\u2019<\/em> draws an analogy to the human electrocardiogram,\u201d explains Prof. Dr. Hab. Hazem M. Kalaji. \u201cJust as an ECG allows assessment of heart health, PlantECG records the \u2018pulse\u2019 of plants\u2014their physiological signals (chlorophyll fluorescence signals) resulting from photosynthesis. I was the first in the world to introduce this term, emphasizing the biological similarity and the possibility of interpreting these signals as a kind of \u2018heartbeat\u2019 of plants.\u201d<\/p>

What Makes the Device Unique<\/strong><\/p>

PlantECG<\/strong> is the simplest and smallest fluorimeter<\/strong> currently available worldwide. Unlike traditional, large, and expensive instruments requiring specialized software, PlantECG:<\/p>

  • is fully mobile and compact<\/strong>, providing non-invasive (non-destructive) measurements;<\/li>
  • performs ultra-fast (1-second)<\/strong> physiological assessments by analyzing 118 points on the fluorescence induction curve, with the ability to record up to 100,000 points per second (100,000\/s)<\/strong>. This high data density enables precise stressor identification using machine learning<\/strong>;<\/li>
  • makes it possible to create biological feedback systems<\/strong>, allowing plants to self-regulate growth conditions\u2014both in partially controlled environments (greenhouses) and fully controlled ones (phytotrons, growth chambers);<\/li>
  • includes built-in sensors<\/strong> for temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure;<\/li>
  • features a visual LED indicator<\/strong> showing plant condition instantly: green (good), yellow (intermediate), red (poor);<\/li>
  • provides immediate results<\/strong>\u2014measured parameters and graphical visualization appear on the screen within one second;<\/li>
  • can be used by scientists and non-specialists alike<\/strong> (farmers, students, landscape architects, artists, or even school pupils);<\/li>
  • requires no Internet connection, Bluetooth, or cables<\/strong>, connecting via Wi-Fi to any phone, tablet, or computer;<\/li>
  • requires no software installation<\/strong>, as it has a built-in system for measurement, parameter calculation, and graphical output. Data can also be stored on a free online server.<\/li><\/ul>

    \u201cIt is the only device of this kind that combines precision, simplicity, and multifunctionality,\u201d <\/em>emphasizes Prof. Dr. Hab. H.M. Kalaji.<\/p>

    Is Our Plant in Good Condition?<\/strong><\/p>

    A plant\u2019s condition can be assessed based on chlorophyll fluorescence signals recorded and analyzed by PlantECG. If the plant functions properly, the device indicates normal Photosystem II activity.<\/p>

    A built-in LED indicator simplifies interpretation:<\/p>

    • Green<\/strong> \u2013 good plant condition<\/li>
    • Yellow<\/strong> \u2013 intermediate condition, first symptoms of stress<\/li>
    • Red<\/strong> \u2013 poor condition, serious physiological problems<\/li><\/ul>

      This intuitive system allows users to identify threats quickly, even without understanding complex physiological parameters, and to respond immediately\u2014helping to prevent negative consequences, especially in the face of environmental stress and ecological challenges.<\/p>

      How Was the Product Developed?<\/strong><\/p>

      The device is the result of a collaboration between Prof. Dr. Hab. Hazem M. Kalaji<\/strong> and MSc Ryszard Grodowski<\/strong>, a specialist in electronics and IT from the private sector.<\/p>

      Prof. Kalaji was responsible for the conceptual and scientific aspects, while MSc Grodowski developed the technical and engineering solutions. The project was made possible through close cooperation between academia (SGGW)<\/strong> and the private sector<\/strong>.<\/p>

      Presentations and Availability of Plant ECG<\/strong><\/p>

      \u201cPlantECG is currently in the production and commercialization phase,\u201d says Prof. Dr. Hab. Hazem M. Kalaji. \u201cIt has already been publicly presented at EXPO 2025 (Osaka, Japan)<\/strong> and during SGGW Days 2025<\/strong>, and will be showcased at the Przemiany Festival<\/strong> at the Copernicus Science Centre (October 3\u20135, 2025) at the SGGW booth titled \u2018Plant Clinic.\u2019 Work is ongoing to bring the device to market for both professional and individual user<\/em>s.\u201d<\/p>

      Scientific Consultation<\/strong><\/p>

      Prof. Dr. Hab. Hazem M. Kalaji<\/strong>
      Department of Botany and Plant Physiology
      Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW)<\/p><\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      ECG for Plants? A New Technology from SGGW Prof. Dr. Hab. Hazem M. Kalaji from the Department of Plant Physiology, Institute of Biology at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), spoke about the PlantECG fluorimeter and its upcoming presentation at the Przemiany Festival at the Copernicus Science Centre (October 3\u20135, 2025), at the SGGW […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36512,"featured_media":264580,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[133],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-275421","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sggw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275421","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sggw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sggw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sggw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36512"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sggw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=275421"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.sggw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275421\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":275444,"href":"https:\/\/www.sggw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275421\/revisions\/275444"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sggw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/264580"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sggw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=275421"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sggw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=275421"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sggw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=275421"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}